Henry's grandfather was a mere
infant with his parents when they immigrated over from England on ship - a great
danger in those days. He is of English heritage. (Henry's wife
Evelyn Carskadon is Scottish) The Elden family came penniless to Ellis Island,
NYC, America, land of opportunity, and borrowed money to get inland to
Pennsylvania.

To me, it seems stellar Henry's rise in life. His father,
Frank Elden, died when Henry was only about 8 years old. Frank had been
industrious and civic minded businessman. he built several homes in prospering
coaltown Boswell, Penna. and built movie theater. They would show a double
feature each night, with news trailer to start the evening. New movies
would come to town by train about every 3 days. Henry use to sit below the
open wood steps going up to the movie theater and collect small coins that
patrons might drop. Once his uncle Frank had an argument with his son, and
socked him so hard he flew up in the air and landed at the bottom of the steps
of the theater.

He spent much of his youth at
YMCA Camp, learning practical skills, building things, managing & charging the
batteries at camp, and learning carving, boating, and many crafts. He had
a sister, Annetta, 4 years older. They all lived in Boswell until Henry
was in his teams, then for better schools, spinster (widowed Grace Morrison
Elden - Henry's mother), moved them into Johnstown, Penna. They shared a
home with their relatives the Morrisons, so Bee (Morrison) later Mrs. Woods was
a close relative living whit him.

Henry had an interest to draw. Friends suggested
Henry become an architecture, so he studied at Carnegie Tech,
Pittsburgh.

Many of his project were stunning in design, radical,
innovative, practical and much appreciated. He served on the W. Va. (governor’s
appointment) and was a member of the National Council of Architectural
Registration Board

He also developed a wide full range in life, water and snow
skiing around the country, and into Europe, where he developed an import business that
eventually achieved sales around the world.

He was an avid photographer, starting at his days at
Carnegie Tech. getting his works published and displayed in prominent places.

He crossed the county alone by train
twice and even crossed up thru
Canada when he was 90+ years old.

He was very independent, strong, happy, optimistic and dedicated,
focused worker.

I believe that Henry achieved far more than most people.

Was his humble youth (born in Boswell) raised by
widow Grace Morrison Elden in Johnston some how the clue or the impetus to all his achievements ?

His grandfather crossed ocean
from England, with his Dad, Frank Elden, who was then just a mere infant.

His father Frank Elden had a barber shop and eventually owed a movie theater in Boswell, a prosperous
coal town. Henry would gather dropped coins in steps below theater
entrance. New movies came by train every few days. Newsreels were a
prominent part of the showing.

Father Frank Elden aided a motorist stranded in
winter snow, then caught pneumonia and died when Henry was just 8 years old.
He and his older sister Annetta insisted that their mother never remarry. They
shared a home in Johnstown with the Morrison family, relatives.

Henry lived with older sister
Annetta and mother Grace Morrison Elden in Johnstown. He spent many
summers at YMCA camp, with boyish mischief, tending to
the batteries which exploded as he was trying to charge them.

He dated a girl that lived at the
top of the hill accessible by the incline.
He did not call on her for a
while so she mailed him a token to ride up the incline to visit her.

Idle time after school he hung
around a guy that had a pool table. He must have spent hours at pool. When
Henry's college age son Ted took Henry to a pool hall one time, Henry
successively broke the pool balls, then one by one, sank each in a pocket,
clearing the table without Ted ever getting a shot.
Ted was 20+ so Henry
was 50+ and had not shot pool for 30 ? years.

After graduating with degree in
Architecture form Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, Henry left Johnston,
moved to Charleston,
West Virginia where he took his first job in with Kuhn Construction.
Henry's Dad started a saving account for the kids, although he died early.
There was enough money held by the county court to fund Henry's education and still leave him $ 500 ? to buy a motor car on graduating - he got the one with
the larger 40 ? HP engine.

Here in Charleston, he built and architectural firm that
gathered national attention, awards, publication, particularly with the many
national TV broadcasts on Home & Garden TV on the Dream Builder program of his
stellar Round Glass Home / studio built above and overlooking the Charleston,
Capitol City – River City Skyline.

Henry worked for Kuhn
Construction in the Kanawha Valley Bank Building in Charleston. He was the
estimator, calculating how much it would cost to build a project so they could
bid on construction work. Their office was on the top floor of KVB.
Riding the elevator, he's meet Evelyn Carskadon on the elevator frequently.
They talked, grew in friendship and dated (for years).

Henry would get Evelyn on a
street car, then walk home after the date (he had little money),

Evelyn, always the night owl,
would often have a date after her date with Henry.

Evelyn had greater salary than
Henry, and probably kidded Henry about that.

Her father was Edward
Blackburn Carskadon, of Fairmont, where Evelyn grew up.

After graduating from W. Va.
University as English Major Evelyn came to Charleston, working for lawyers as a
stenographers, typing on a curious type of typewriter that would accept several
(phonetic) keystrokes at one time. Evelyn was very fast. One of her
bosses did not think or dictate very fast, so Evelyn would even do the
stenography or typed recording with just one hand. (This made her boss
mad.)

They had a social group,
Harry & Haas Stansbury, Felix & Fannie Lilly, and others. They would go on
weekend trips to W. Va. State Parks. The Lillies were their supposed
escort, chaperones, as they were married, but the other couples were not
married.

Meredith Persinger eventually
proposed to Evelyn Carskadon, and she accepted.

Henry was pretty jealous, so he
proposed to Evelyn (or Evelyn proposed to Henry) and they decided to get married
before her planned wedding to Persinger.

October 22, 1944 - Their
wedding was just 5
people. Henry & Evelyn each had one witness and met for the wedding
ceremony. Pete Kuhn was Dad's witness & best man. I think Eleanor,
mother's sister may have been her witness.to top index --- ^

They went to Cincinnati over the
weekend for their honeymoon. Evelyn insisted on returning to Charleston to
work Monday morning. Marriage might be nice, but she was not going to risk
losing her job for a man.

After Henry worked at Kuhn
Construction, he got a job with celebrated Charleston Architect,
Walter Martens -
who had several important commissions, like the Governor's Mansion on the
Boulevard. Martens promised Henry a raise after some time with him.
When it came time for the raise, the boss said he could not pay more, so Henry
quit and started working for Carbide Chemicals in the structural division.
They would design 3 dimensional steel grid structure to hold piping for the
chemical productions at the plant. They often changed the designs before
they were built. The boss told Henry, whether you are drawing or erasing,
the pay is the same. Henry found it frustrating, continually erasing or
destroying the design work that he did to do new design work. to top index --- ^

After Pearl Harbor attack, Henry
enlisted as an officer in the Navy. He trained
at Harvard Yard Boston, then was stationed in San Diego, waiting his call to
sea. All communications were closed, so Henry could not tell Evelyn at the
base when he was called to sea, but they worked out signals. When Henry
did not come home to the apartment one day, Evelyn knew that Henry had gone to
sea. Pregnant with Barbara, Evelyn took a train back east. She
stopped in Chicago to visit her brother Edwin Carskadon and wife Gretchen.
Although Evelyn was destined to return to Charleston, her brother Edwin insisted
that she stay with them until she had her child at the Army hospital. She
did, then returned (possibly with Gretchen & her 3 kids to Charleston).

Henry severed several years with
the Navy fleet in the Pacific Ocean near the Philippines. He only
occasionally got back to the states. When he first met his first child,
Barbara Ann Elden, she was nearly 2 years old. Barbara did not like this
new man, taking the attention of her mother and was initially jealous, and
unfriendly to Henry.

Back in Charleston, W. Va.,
Eventually Evelyn Elden, Gretchen Carskadon and their kids rented a little log
cabin in Kanawha City (Charleston). One day, Evelyn accidentally locked
herself outside of the cabin and asked the kids (Edward the oldest) to let her
back in. The kids would not unlock the door, so someone (a neighbor ?) had
to climb in a 2nd floor window to reunite mothers and kids.

In the Navy, Henry was a
communication officer. He would get communication messages form the
Captain of his ship and send them in code from a typewriter across the radio.
He would receive codes and type them into a special typewriter which would
uncode the messages, that he would give to his Captain.

The codes were kept very
carefully and secretly. Henry never fired or engaged in any combat.
Their ship carried troops to foreign shores. They were not well armed, as
other ships in their fleet were responsible for for defense.

Once on returning from shore,
Henry stepped from the small launch that brought him back to the deck of the
ship. At that instant, the ropes broke, and the launch plunged 100' F ? to
the sea below. Had Henry delayed even a second, he would have fallen to
his death in that accident.

Once, when off his ship, the USS
Harris, he picked up the mail for another ship in their fleet.

When he returned to his ship, he
sent a message to the Captain of another ship. "I have your mail, come and
get it." He was tired and went to sleep. His Captain awakened him in
the middle of the night. "Henry - do you have the mail for another ship ?"
Henry did. The Captain was shocked that Henry would tell a superior
officer, the Captain of another ship to "come get his mail." Henry
responded quickly, dragging out a crew to take him on a launch (small boat) to
the other ship in the middle of the night to deliver their mail. (Don't
talk to superiors - at least not telling them what to do !)

Henry was present at a surrender
ceremony where Japanese Officers, at the end, walked forward and placed their
swords in a pile. When ceremony was over, people scattered. Henry
walked over and grabbed one of the swords, which he kept and brought home.
His son has that fine crafted sword.

Henry brought back a side arm, a
Lugar pistol from his duty in the Navy, but did not like to have a gun in his
home, so he traded it for a pair of binoculars (Barbara Elden Scavullo has
those).

When Henry returned from the
Navy, he retuned to Carbide, where he had been working.

His boss gave Henry special
privileges since he was the only one in their crew that had volunteered to serve
in the military.

When work load was light, his
boss would excuse Henry (with pay) to slip away in the afternoons to work on
building his own first home at 807 Churchill Dr.

Henry Elden, Architect- On completing the home, Henry quit at Carbide and began to do
architectural projects from his home's basement. He eventually hired
Dallas Ferrell to help him and later expanded to build an office next door at
809 Churchill Dr. They built many projects all over the state, some homes,
but many school buildings. Henry Elden was the leading W. Va. school
architect for decades. to top index --- ^

Haworth, in his own firm, later
did the structural work for HE & Associates.

In the beginning, Dad was unsure
that he could keep his firm (1 helper) going. He paid Haworth money, and
Haworth kept Dallas Ferrell on Haworth's payroll. Eventually Henry got
Dallas on his own direct payroll.

Henry Elden & Associates -
Design Team: These are some of the people Henry hired as he
expanded his office at Churchill Dr. Joe Deem, Dick (Richard) Smith,
Margaret Wiseman, Russ, Clint Bryan, Uner Gokcen (an architectural gradate from
Turkey), George Holderby (HVAC), Bob Simms (electrical & lighting), Jack
Handloser, Margo ... from Spencer area. later adding Gerald Lamb, Lloyd Miller, Tom Pots, Ted
Shriver, ... At first Hayworth did Henry's structural engineering, then
Jack Hofmann. Henry later did large government projects as joint ventures with
George S. Rider from Cleveland, also working with Perkins & Will of Chicago.

Numerous part time and short term
people also aided Henry. Wife Evelyn designed painting color schemes &
picked furnishings like daughter now does in her own large firm in San Francisco
- Barbara Scavullo Designs.

Henry Elden & Associates
developed & promoted school work throughout the state, and displayed at meetings
and conventions, even traveling out of state, like to Atlantic City to national
School Conventions.

Henry eventually acquired many
honor, awards and much publication in local papers, national organizations &
publications.

In the 1950's Henry, wife &
family traveled around West Virginia, checking on the construction of his many
projects, like schools in most W. Va. counties. After checking the
buildings, they would go on to wild, wonderful W. Va. state parks for the
weekend. From his youth and to his family, Henry was the genesis that
spurred a love of nature, the wilderness and travel. They would hike,
swim, photo.

On some outings, Henry taught son
Ted how to make a whistle out of the new shoot of a maple tree, how to fold the
long leaf of a bull rush, and tuck it in to make a floating sail boat.
They once decorated the lake at Watoga St. Park with their little bull rush sail
boats.

In the 1960's Henry &
Evelyn took many trips to Europe with their
young teen age children traveling to Sweden, Germany, Italy, France, Copenhagen,
Rotterdam, Austria, Norway, Finland, Holland, sometimes with the Charleston Show
Plane, often on their own literary. Daughter Barbara Ann Elden once travel
for a summer (form college) to live with French family in rural France. On
once family trip, they purchased a Volkswagen to travel with and to ship home to
America. In Holland, Henry bought a large diamond ring for wife Evelyn.
They toured up and down on river while they considered the purchase. Son
Ted got very sick for a few days, delaying their traveling. A
conscientious local doctor saved Ted's life, and they resumed travel. to top index --- ^

While delayed in Holland, Henry
found a wooden storage cabinet that held slides on racks with a light panel
inside. You could store 4,000 slides and quickly see any 100 slide
illuminated at once. Henry purchase and shipped this Abodia Slide Cabinet to
America.

He had 1,000s of slides from his
travel, his architectural work, and of his family. The Abodia Slide
Cabinet made the work of organizing and showing slides much easier.

Using the cabinet, he liked it
and wrote back to the manufacture, Artur Bonacker, in Bremen Germany.
"Thanks - Abodia is good product."

Bonacker replied, "Why don't you
sell them in America ?"

Henry replied "I am a busy
architect, but maybe my wife will"

Evelyn got information, more
cabinets, took photos, built a catalog, scheduled and attended conventions cross
the nation and advertised the product.

Initially, Henry & Evelyn would
travel to national conventions showing the Abodia Cabinets. They sold maybe 20 a
years initially, breaking even on their costs, but enjoying the travel to US
cities to show the cabinets.

At age 80 or older, Henry
traveled back to Germany, to Scandinavia, across France and in the Baltic Sea to
go on month long cruises with Arthur Bonacker (owner - inventor of Abodia
Cabinets)
www.abodia.com/slidesolutions Those great trips are recorded in
Henry's writings and photos albums.

WW II Arthur was Germany
Submarine U Boat captain & Henry was Navy code communication officer in Pacific
Fleet). Although they fought on opposites of the war, but Arthur quipped,
"He would have never shot Henry" (although neither met nor knew each other for
another 20 years after the war in about 1966.

Henry received much acclaim and
honors for the stunning Top O Rock, home and office that he built
surrounding a cliff, over looking the Capitol an driver city skyline. He
was called to NYC to be honored by the American Steel institute for recognition
not only for his design but for being owner - builder of the project.
There in the Broadway type spot lights before the gala crowd, including the
likes of Edward Durell Stone (famous contemporary architect) he stepped forward
to receive his award. Shy son Ted, a mere teen, took a long distant photo
of Henry getting the award. Photography, among other things take bravadaro
to step forth when needs be to get the best shot. It took years for Ted to
gain his world of confidence that his father had. he was sorry that he was
not born bold like his undaunted sister.

When Ted Elden graduated from
Carnegie Mellon University in 1972, with degree in Architecture, he eventually
returned to work with his Dad Henry and the office. Besides the
architecture work, Ted grabbed the Abodia idea. He made many drawings of
existing and future designs, did photography, developed a full color catalog and
market to millions, expanding the business form 20 sales annually to 100s or
more. The Elden's successfully sold the Abodia cabinets to architect,
colleges, doctors around the US and even to foreign countries for about 30 yeas,
1964 - 1993. Ted added these members to our abodia staff: Lee Weber, Cindy
Beecher (Bowman) Elaine White, Georgia Warren, Randy McDaniel, Shir Beth Wooten,
Beckley - for graphics & design, Velice Byrd, Anne Croizer, ...

Henry Elden's architectural work
evolved.

He did many special projects,
with excellence, economy and innovation.

- Enchanting little chapel, built
by volunteer Methodist Men at Jackson Mills Camp

- Calvary Methodist Church in
Wheeling

- Dilly's Mill Boy Scout Camp,
layout and dining hall, chapel

- Martinsburg Regional Jail,
first multi country jail built in the nation.

- at WV Inst. of Tech,
Montgomery, for their president Leonard Nelson,

The stellar Vining Library, best,
most beautiful and functional library in the state for 20+ years.

Community Tech, Co Op Dorms, with
aid of new insight of CMU graduate, Ted Elden, the design left the conventional
tower concept to more humane and current thinking of building small groups of
rooms, like for fraternities, sharing kitchen and baths, instead of long
corridor of bedrooms and one gang shower. This dorm always filled more
quickly then the other dorms on the campus, indicating that the students
preferred this deign layout over the traditional dorm designs.

- added wing to Andrew S. Rowan
Memorial Home (original may have been designed or adapted from Jefferson Design)
Elden's design included classic colonnade and detailing aided by Paul Vaugh fine
art Charleston Architect.

Henry worked with Perkins and
Will from Chicago on some school projects and the

George S. Rider Co. for some
large federal projects.

Beyond his work, Elden was great
adventurer, photographer and family man. He & wife traveled about the
country visiting family over holidays and affording much travel, sign seeing to
their children.

Athletics - Sports Henry started
jogging and then rode his bike daily since he was 45 years old until about age
92 - about a 6 mile loop. along MacCorkle Ave. across the Kanawha City Bridge
(dangerous - could fall off bike into the river) , thru downtown to get his PO
Box mail and home. to top index --- ^

He enjoyed water skiing
with son, family & friends, skiing the Kanawha River & Summersville Lake on a
single slalom ski (at age 70 to 89). He snow skied at Winterplace,
Snowshoe, Whisper (Vancouver), Vail, Breckenridge, Cortina Italy, Switzerland:
Zermat, Arosa, ...

Henry's Top O Rock home & studio has receive much
local and national recognition.

Henry traveled to NYC ceremony to
receive with famed architect Edward Durall Stone, an award from the US Steel Inst. for
his Top o Rock design & construction.
to top index --- ^

It has been featured in Parade
Magazine, 15 million national circulation, Dwell Magazine, Home & Garden TV
- the Dream Builders, rebroadcast many times including Ted Elden's Little Rock,
10 hyperbolic parabolas home & studio perched on mountainside.

He was a member of the Charleston
Anvil Club, giving articulate and detailed presentations of heart warming
stories, like his wife's cancer battle, treatment & cure, and later congestive
heart failure - & recovery.

With his slides of European
Architecture he lectured at Carnegie Mellon University - to
Architecture Department students.

Henry was known, admired & loved
by many people.

He was conscientious to see and
recognize the work, achievements of others, openly complimenting them on their
achievements. He inspired many to become architects and designers. to top index --- ^

an evolving story - updated and
expanded when I can - notes by his son - Ted Elden